Episodes

  • Range Wide Wildlife Declines | Week of April 29

    Range Wide Wildlife Declines | Week of April 29
    May 3 2024
    This week, we are talking about the overall decline of wildlife, shifting baselines, and the biggest factors that affect long-term population levels. Randy Newberg, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, and Congressman Bruce Westerman received Theodore Roosevelt’s Conservation Awards for 2024! We have a quick recap from last week’s episode. Michael, Jace, Kara, and I went to shoot in the NRL hunter competition in Idaho, where we learned a lot about precision shooting. In Pennsylvania, two bills have been introduced that could remove the longstanding prohibition of Sunday hunting. President Biden just expanded the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument by nearly 14 thousand acres to protect an 11-mile-long ridgeline named Molok Luyuk, which means Condor Ridge in the Native Patwin people’s language. Wildlife biologists are beginning to test the feasibility and accuracy of using drones to conduct population surveys, in particular, drones with thermal cameras that can detect animal heat signatures through various covers. An article by Doc Collins, recently published in Outdoor Life, summarized recent legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that could significantly impact hunters and anglers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    34 mins
  • Becoming a Better Shot | Week of April 22

    Becoming a Better Shot | Week of April 22
    Apr 26 2024
    This week we’re discussing a news series we're creating to become a better shot with a rifle but also how recreational shooters might contribute more money to conservation than hunters. A few news stories from this week include the following. In Alaska the Bureau of Land management has released their final supplemental environmental impact statement in regards to the construction of the Ambler Road where they have recommended "No Action". News of chronic wasting disease potentially infecting humans has been spreading like wild fire in national news, but our friend Jim Heffelfinger has pointed out that the article that is often being cited, is NOT a scientific study, it is simply a short report of events. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife just released their draft black bear conservation plan that shows that bear populations are thriving in the state and there is more than enough room for hunter harvest. Link to California Draft Black Bear Conservation Plan https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Mammals/Black-Bear Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    34 mins
  • What Creates Hunting Culture? | Fresh Tracks Weekly | Week of April 8

    What Creates Hunting Culture? | Fresh Tracks Weekly | Week of April 8
    Apr 12 2024
    This week, we’re discussing what creates hunting culture and how it changes over time and by region. This week, we have just a few headlines, including a bill that, if voters approve it, could impose an additional tax on firearms and ammunition in Colorado. Boulder County implemented a hunting ban that the Forest Service argues is unauthorized, and researchers across the West have put out a new volume of Wildlife Migration routes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    35 mins
  • Taking Away Public Ownership of Fish And Wildlife? | Week of April 1

    Taking Away Public Ownership of Fish And Wildlife? | Week of April 1
    Apr 5 2024
    This week we’re talking about how there’s a potential threat to the public’s ownership of fish and wildlife as the Georgia Legislature passed a bill that stripped language from a law that had to do with the public trust doctrine. A few news stories that we also cover include; The Alaska Governor recently announced new appointments to the Board of Fisheries and Board of Game which included Fresh Tracks regular, Jim Baichtal! A study in Michigan has been trying to figure out if they can vaccinate wild deer for bovine tuberculosis via an edible bait. In Grand Teton National Park it was reported that the removal of mountain goats has continued with 15 were killed within the park in 2023 and they estimate around 10-20 goats remain in the Teton Range. A Dairy worker in Texas recently contracted the bird flu making him the 2nd person in the United States to be reported. In Wyoming a man has been accused of running down a wolf with a snowmobile, catching it while still alive, taping its mouth shut and then bringing it home with him and then bringing it to a bar, before finally killing it. The first large-scale wildlife overpass in Idaho was finished last year and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership put out an article detailing the project and initial success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    25 mins
  • Suing the Feds for Profit | Week of March 25

    Suing the Feds for Profit | Week of March 25
    Mar 29 2024
    This week, we are discussing how non-profits will sue federal agencies to stop them from managing land and how they use the Equal Access to Justice Act to profit from the lawsuits. Also, a few headlines we found interesting include; In Washington, the push to restore grizzly bears in the North Cascades continues, with the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service publishing their final Environmental Impact Statements. Wolves have potentially been sighted in Nevada, which is definitely not a normal occurrence for the state. Are they there to stay? Or are they Passing through? The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation recently announced that they have committed over $760,000 to numerous projects in Utah to improve wildlife habitat, further wildlife management and bolster research and hunting support. In Vermont, there have been a few updates and amendments to the legislation that would change how the state's wildlife board functions, along with changes to coyote hunting regulations. In Wyoming, the Legislative session has wrapped up, and Josh Metten with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership has compiled a list of some of the state's conservation wins. Contact your Elected Officials https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    33 mins
  • Arizona Cancels Auction Tags | Week of March 18

    Arizona Cancels Auction Tags | Week of March 18
    Mar 22 2024
    This week, we discuss how the Arizona Game and Fish Commission just voted to cancel its auction permits, which had previously raised millions of dollars for conservation. In addition to that, we touch on a few headlines and legislative updates. In Montana, a bill from the last legislative session is still in the air. SB442 is in headlines again, as the mail-out ballots are being sent out to determine whether the Governor’s veto can be overridden. The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership recently published some highlights and disappointments of recent congressional appropriations from the perspective of hunters and anglers. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Boone and Crocket Club’s respective CEOs, Kyle Weaver and Tony Schoonen, recently wrote a joint op-ed in which they discussed their frustrations with environmental groups blocking forest management. Montana Legislature https://leg.mt.gov/legislator-informa... Link to Letter signed by members of MT Senate https://dailymontanan.com/wp-content/... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    25 mins
  • Putting More Sheep on the Mountain | Week of March 11

    Putting More Sheep on the Mountain | Week of March 11
    Mar 15 2024
    This week, we are discussing putting more animals on the mountain, with bighorn sheep in Montana as the main example. We will also briefly cover the following headlines. In Kentucky, a bill has passed out of Committee and to the Senate that could have significant consequences for the Kentucky Department of Wildlife Resources and, ultimately, the hunters and anglers in the state. The Arizona Game and Fish Commission is meeting today and potentially voting on whether or not to do away with their conservation permits. In Wyoming, the Game and Fish Commission just voted unanimously to pursue establishing protections for a pronghorn migration corridor. In Idaho, an effort has been made to pass a bill that would end the Open Fields Doctrine for conservation officers. This would essentially make it illegal for a game warden to check licenses or harvested animals on private land without a warrant. In Arizona, the Nature Conservancy recently received an 11.5 million dollar grant to purchase conservation easements in the Upper Verde River Watershed and Big Chino Grasslands. Page to look up your Kentucky Legislators https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/findyourlegislator/findyourlegislator.html Kentucky State Senators Contact https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/Legislators/smembers_county.html Idaho Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee https://www.billtrack50.com/committee/3566 Link to “Selfless” Film https://youtu.be/zJa3SeEmTn0?si=s7qFVrIfYz3FQEyB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    19 mins
  • Screwing Over the Non-Resident Hunter | Week of Feb. 26

    Screwing Over the Non-Resident Hunter | Week of Feb. 26
    Mar 1 2024
    This week we are talking about screwing over the Non-resident hunter, how multiple states are adopting regulations that restrict numbers, restrict access, or raise prices for non-residents… along with a few news stories which include; In Montana, Fish Wildlife and Parks plans to give out a free moose, sheep, or goat license to residents who purchase a general deer or elk tag early. Also, in Montana, the State Supreme Court sided with the Department of Environmental Quality and the Black Butte Project regarding the controversial copper mine along the Switch River. Former head of the National Rifle Association, Wayne LaPierre, was recently ordered to repay 4.4 million dollars he had misspent of NRA money, along with retired finance chief Wilson Phillips being ordered to payback 2 million dollars. In Vermont a bill has been read in several committee hearings that would change how the states fish and wildlife board would function, how members are appointed along with changing certain coyote hunting regulations. In Iowa a bill has been progressing and has already passed the senate that would hamstring Iowa Department of Natural Resources ability to acquire property. In Oregon, a Wildlife Package bill has been introduced to provide funding to expand various wildlife programs and address invasive species issues in the state. Vermont Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/detail/2024/30 Iowa Legislature House Contact https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/house Oregon Joint Committee on Ways and Means Contact https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2024R1/Committees/JWM/Overview Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show more Show less
    30 mins